WEST SPRINGFIELD – The Town Council during its meeting Monday is scheduled to receive a proposal regarding a section of Massachusetts General Laws that allows communities to set employee health insurance co-payments without going through collective bargaining.

If the council adopts that provision, Chapter 32B, the city will then have that ability. To adopt it, the council must approve it by a simple majority of its five members who are allowed to vote on the issue.

The other four members of the council would be in a conflict of interest if they voted because they get city health insurance, according to Human Resources Director Sandra A. MacFadyen.

The proposal was submitted to the council by former Mayor Edward J. Gibson before he stepped down in early January. Mayor Gregory C. Neffinger could not be reached for comment on the issue.

The city must now get all 14 of its employee unions to agree on a co-payment, something MacFadyen said is “tough” to do.

Currently, the cost of a master medical plan for a family, the most expensive coverage, is $4,774.19 a month with the city covering 60 percent or $2,864.51 and the employee picking up 40 percent or $1,909.68.

The lowest priced plan, a Network Blue offering that has deductibles, costs $1,485.51 a month for a family with the city picking up 60 percent or $1,114.13 and the employee paying 40 percent or $371.38 and $568.41 for an individual with the city paying 60 percent of $426.31 and the employee picking up 40 percent or $142.10.

Subscribers to the city’s health insurance plans currently pay $10 for an office visit.

Gibson has long been an advocate of removing health insurance from collective bargaining. As long as it is subject to collective bargaining, costs to municipalities will remain high even if a union and municipality can agree on some change, he has said.

Last year, West Springfield’s health insurance costs increased by 12 percent, or about $800,000, with it costing about $9.5 million of the city’s approximately $80 million annual budget.